Page 81 - Artesania Catalogo_Neat

BASKET-MAKING, NATURAL FIBERS,
COCONUT SHELLS, GOURDS AND OTHER
MATERIALS
Sisal fiber, cane and palm leaves
The artisan activity of woven sisal fiber was
developed as a complement to the tobacco
production of the last century, principally in the
Cibao, for the manufacture of packaging and
ties, and using cane for the manufacture of
hats, also in the South specifically in the city of
Baní and the surrounding communities.
Despite the decline in hats due to substi-
tution by the baseball cap, today the manu-
facture of hats survives, principally in Gurabo,
Santiago where they also weave tote bags,
ornaments and souvenirs out of cane and
sisal.
Other woven crafts are brooms, tote bags
for traveling and for picking coffee and cacao;
burro saddles and saddle bags for beasts of
burden. The making of sisal rope and harness-
es also survives, but now combined with syn-
thetic materials (polypropylene)
Cane and palm leaf are also utilized in the
weaving of seats and backs for rocking chairs
in the communities of Inoa, Sajoma and in La
Lista, Barahona.
It is important to highlight that these ar-
tisan fabrics are enjoying a boom with the
creation of new products lines and to supply
accessories and inputs for furniture, having
the support of international cooperation agen-
cies such as the Inter-American Development
Bank (IDB) and the United States Agency for
International Development -USAID through the
Furniture Cluster of Santiago.
Other natural fibers such as coconut coir
are utilized to make curtains and lampshades
in Las Terrenas, Samaná as well plantain leaves
for weaving small baskets and bags in Canoa,
Barahona and decorative dolls in other com-
munities of the country.
Artesanía Dominicana | Dominican Crafts | 81